Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea and South Africa to Southern Japan, south to New South Wales, Australia, and Kermadec Islands.
Size: 8 inches (20 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits fore-reef slopes at depths between 15 – 200 feet (3 – 60 m) where it lives in large groups and feeds on zooplankton.
General Husbandry: Quite attractive, hardy and very common in the trade, having a white body with two large black slightly diagonal bands, black crown connecting the eyes, black spots on the snout, with the leading edge of dorsal extended into a very long white filament. Remaining dorsal is yellow, as is the caudal fin, with black pelvic fins.
Easily maintained in larger peaceful fish-only aquariums, especially those with lots of open swimming space, live rock to browse on, and having some micro and macroalgae growths.
As to diet, this is not a difficult species to get feeding in captivity as it will feed on a wide range of regular aquarium foodstuffs. Yet keep in mind its basically a meat eater in the wild, therefore begin with various frozen meaty foods such as mysis and enriched brine shrimp, and feed several times daily. Its also know to injests some algae in the aquarium, therefore flake foods/frozen herbivore foods, especially those containing Spirulina and/or Nori should also be occasionally offered.
Small human consumption clams/black mussels purchased in local grocery stores and placed on the half-shell in the aquarium, enriched live brine shrimp and live black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus) should be considered healthy additional treats!
Can be maintained in small groups, or with others its genus, yet all should be introduced at the same time.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Heniochus
FYI: Quite similar to H. acuminatus, yet has a short snout, with its spots somewhat lighter, and its pelvic fins are shorter and more pointed. Its rear black band splits the center of the anal fin with the white midbody stripe.
Pressing some soft foods into openings/crevices on a piece of old dead coral skeleton can sometimes encourage finicky eaters to begin feeding
Experience Level: Beginner
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: No
Invertebrate Safe: No
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
